My Dear Sister
by xXannabellXx
Summary: "Wait...Why're you saying goodbye?..."  Gaz jumps in front of a laser beam, saving Dib's life. She's gone, and Dib finds a new way to grieve. One shot. WARNING: ORIGINAL CHARACTER DEATH


**I do not own Invader Zim. IZ and related logos, characters, Etc. belong to Jhonen Vasquez**

Zim's insane laughter echoed in the small, hollow space. A tiny sliver of moonlight lit up the scene. Dib's breathing was shallow as he struggled against the tight, impossibly strong bonds. It was useless. For a moment, he lost any hope he had. This was it. Zim had won. He would die at the hands of the heartless Irken invader. This was confirmed when Zim held up an Irken gun. Dib gasped, and tried once again to somehow get out of the rope. The ropes tightened the more he struggled. Zim hit a button on the gun, and a pale green orb appeared just at the end of the barrel. It slowly grew, bathing the room in a strange, green-tinted light.

Gaz noticed the change in lighting, and looked up from her Game Slave. She put it down without turning it off, or even saving. Her character died due to her neglect of the game, but she wasn't paying attention. Her eyes got wide, but not from anger. She was a bit surprised that her brother hadn't somehow stopped Zim. She stared at the almost hypnotic orb at the end of the gun.

Three things happened at once. Zim's laughter got louder as he pulled the trigger. There was a flash of blinding white light, and a scream of pain. When he first heard it, Zim cackled harder, but he realized something: The scream had been high, too high to possibly be Dib's. No one in the room was able to see for a few seconds because of the bright light. The seconds seemed like entire eternities.

_No...The only other person in the room is his sister, but she wouldn't...Would she? _Zim wondered. His eyes adjusted first. He blinked, and looked at the pool of blood on the floor. He gasped out loud.

Gaz was twitching slightly, her blood pooling around her. She coughed, but her breaths were too shallow to allow much air in, so the cough had been barely audible. When Dib's eyes cleared, he was just as surprised as Zim was. Even Gaz, who had jumped in front of the laser willingly and voluntarily, was a bit shocked.

_Did I just...Ack! It hurts!...Ow...I did...M...My visions f...fading...OW!_

She gasped out loud. A speckle of blood appeared on her face. Dib screamed, but she could barely hear it. She could barely hear anything. Zim put his gun down, unsure what to think. He had been sure Gaz hated her brother. Dib yelled something else, the words barely forming in Gaz's mind. Everything was fading. She breathed in and out, fighting it.

_NO! I c...can't die! Not yet! Ow... Why did I even do that?...Ahhhh...I have to breath, but I can't! Ack...Bleh! If I let go for a second, it all disappears...I can't hear what you're saying, Dib! Are you even saying anything?...Yes, you're definitely saying _something_... I can make out a few words... "No", "Why", "Don't leave"... You're saying something else now...What? ...Why're you saying...Goodbye?...Is it that serious?...Alright, I admit, it is. I'm not gonna let go yet...God, it hurts...Come over here, damn it!...Is Zim untying you? Ack...Fuck...He's saying something about a 'Goodbye' too...And _I'm_ the pessimist?...Heheh...Okay, there you are...It hurts...Goodbye, Dib..._

Gaz was shaking less, but Dib wasn't sure if this was good or bad. He tried to sit her up, but he realized that she had stopped shaking completely. He leaned her against him to check her pulse, not caring about the blood getting all over himself. He picked up her pale hand, but dropped it, both because of his own hands shaking and because of how stiff her hand had felt. He picked it up again, managing to keep a hold of it this time. He pressed his fingers to her wrist. After a few moments, he still felt nothing. He tried, again and again. Several minutes passed, and the reality sunk in. His little sister was dead.

Dib turned around, trying to find Zim. He saw one of the windows had been broken. Zim had scuttled out the window. Dib wasn't sure why Zim hadn't just finished him off. Dib looked back at Gaz. He tried to think, but he couldn't. He just sat there. He couldn't think, but it still felt like his thoughts were zooming around in his head at a million miles an hour. He tried to breath, but it hurt his throat. Life didn't feel real. He could have been there for a few minutes, or a few hours. He didn't know which.

He felt something running down his cheek, and realized he was crying. He still felt numb. Every sense his body had hit him, all at once. His eyes felt warm and dry, his entire body ached, and his throat was sore. He closed his eyes for only a moment, and fell asleep.

By the morning time, he couldn't even tell if he had dreamed or not. He remembered something, but couldn't place whether it had been him waking up, a dream, or just the memory of the night before floating around in his mind. He looked around at the room he was in. He felt a bitter pang rip through his heart when he saw Gaz, lying there, completely motionless. The room, Gaz, the blood, the stench- All just undeniable proof that last night had happened. He went completely numb. He stood up, and picked up Gaz. He was almost surprised at how cold she was. He didn't know if he was still crying or not; All his senses and emotions had just shut down.

His entire mind was shut off. He knew that he was carrying her out the room, climbing out the window, and trying to fingd his way to the nearest road, but his memory was completely shut down. He couldn't remember where he had been two seconds ago, and wasn't sure where he was going.

I still can't remember much from that day. I know I saw a car, and they pulled over. They saw Gaz, and called the police for me. I told them she'd been shot by muggers, and I'd been knocked out. I couldn't really tell them the truth...They'd think I'd done it. No one thinks aliens exist, so they _couldn't _have killed my sister! I'm not sure what Mrs. Bitters is going on about, but the class looks pretty revolted. Either she's going into detail about skinning a moose, or sex ed. Weird, how after my senses involuntarily shut down, I started controlling it. Mrs. Bitters could scream at me, and I wouldn't hear her.

Not that I care. Grades don't even matter anymore. It's not like the school is bothering with anything useful. We memorize copyright information and learn how to survive life threatening situations. Whipee. Once I realized this, I developed a sort of hatred for Mrs. Bitters, and everyone at the school. They have this legal control over us, but they aren't even helping!

They're as useless and pathetic as I was when I let Gaz get shot!

...

...

I think the bell just rang. The kids are filing out of the classroom, desperately trying to get away from the ridiculous lectures and eat the radioactive junk the school is trying to shove down our throats. God, I hate this place. At first, I didn't think home was much better, with dad never home. Gaz isn't there either. But I grew to like the time alone. She's six feet in the ground because of that arrogant, self absorbed defect!

I throw away my food the second I get it. It's disgusting. I can see why Gaz always skipped lunch and played her Game Slave. Right now, all of her games are lined up on a shelf in her room. I've kept it clean, and deactivated the security dolls. If dad ever bothered, he'd probably empty out her room and make it a storage room, or something. I've heard of a lot of parents doing that once their kids go off to college (Or run away because they got knocked up by some druggie ten years older than them...Either one, really).

People give me strange looks when I scowl. I can't tell if it's because they're concerned, or because they think I'm a freak, or something. I'd actually prefer the latter. I can't stand people walking up to me and saying their "Sorry" about what happened. I got into a fight over it a few days ago. The guy saying it had just made fun of Gaz and I the week before. Now that she was dead, he was all 'sorry'! He used her name, too! I snapped, and punched him in the face. He doesn't have the right to say her name. At least, not when I'm around.

The lunch bell rings, and kids get ready to go to recess. The few times I've gone to recess this week I just sit behind the steps and read, or something. The rest of the time, I just walk off the school premises. If anyone cared, they'd try to call my dad or something. Of course, he doesn't really care.

You know, I deleted all the episodes of Mysterious Mysteries I recorded on the DVR. I set the few shows Gaz used to watch to record. I don't really know why I did it. I realize this probably isn't the best way to grieve...

Someone's coming. I can hear them. Normally, I don't bother looking up until they turn around and walk away. I smelled something like perfume, and decided to look up. Gretchen was standing there.

"H-Hi, Dib. Can I, um, sit here?" She motioned nervously to the spot beside me. I almost laughed, seeing how nervous she was. I nodded, and scooted over a little to make a spot for her. I was actually reading an old book of Gaz's. I don't really like that type of stuff, but she did.

" '_Punch Harder_'? You read that type of stuff?" Gretchen asked.

"Heh...No. It's one of Gaz's old books." I replied. It occurred to me a moment later that the comment had made Gretchen uncomfortable.

"Ummm...Oh..." She murmured.

"Don't be nervous. The reason I went all psycho on that guy a few days ago was because he was _just_ trying to be polite. He didn't even feel anything. I could tell." She seemed a little startled at the comment, but tried to carry on the conversation.

"Okay...I...Heard Gaz always liked going to Bloaty's Pizza Hog. J-Just out of curiosity, do you like it there?" I shrugged.

"It's okay...Can I tell you something weird?" I asked. She nodded vigorously.

"I kinda wanna set it on fire. It's just, it has no meaning what-so-ever to me, and I...kinda like setting stuff on fire." I admitted. There was something I had realized shortly after Gaz had died; I could be a pyromaniac sometimes. I like blowing stuff up just so I know it's destroyed, and I like fire. It's so beautiful, but destructive. It has this wonderful warmth that could save your life, but it could kill you just as easily. It's a sick, fascinating, revolting, beautiful balance. I've always wanted to blow up Zim's base, just to see how Irken technology burns.

That, and to see the look on his face.

**BLOATY'S GOES UP IN SMOKE**

Yesterday, Bloaty's Pizza Hog, favorite pizza eatery to many a child, caught on fire. No one was hurt. The fire started at about three AM, Sunday. Police are questioning how the fire started. Many possibilities are ruled out because there was no one in the building. Arson was questioned.

"No comment," Said the lead detective. There are no suspects, but police suspect it's a male in his thirties. They ask that if you have any idea of who could of done it, you contact them at 555-108-TIPS.

**BLOATY'S ARSONIST STRIKES AGAIN: MALL GOES UP IN SMOKE**

Last night, yet another fire was started. This time, it was started in the mall, in the gaming store. Fifty three people were killed. The police are questioning the arsonist's motives.

"He doesn't seem to want attention. He starts the fires when the fewest people are around, and in the dead of the night. He doesn't have any sort of 'signature' to his fires." Police are asking that if you know a male in his thirties who disappears at night, you identify them to someone at 555-108-TIPS.

**SHADOW ARSONIST SETS ANOTHER FIRE**

Early this morning, the sun's rising was accompanied by a blazing fire. The fire was set at a factory, who's main export was video games. An estimated 300 were killed. If you have any idea who is setting these fires, please call the anonymous tip line at 555-108-TIPS.

I sighed. The Shadow Arsonist... Okay, it was better than the Bloaty's Pizza Hog Arsonist. I'm not sure if anyone suspects anything. I doubt they do. Gretchen may have figured it out, but the police don't care what little boys and girls have to say. I think Zim's noticed I don't have enough time to foil his schemes anymore.

Of course, I can kill two birds with one stone with my next target. I wonder what all that fancy Irken technology will look like on fire?


End file.
